Setting for precious stones.



J. C. WHlTEHOUSE.

SETTING FOR PRECIOUS STONES.

APPLlcArloN man MA1/24,1915.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

JOSEPH C. l)V1-ITI.ell-IOSE, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

SETTING FOR PRECIOUS STONES.

i scesi?.

Specification of Letters Patent.

yatented Nov. 141. 19in.'

Application filed May 24, 1915. Serial No. 30,011.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Josurn C. XVI-irre- Honse, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Settings for Precious Stones, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a novel setting for precious stones whereby a cluster-plate having a number of small precious stones, such as diamonds, or other precious stones, set as a group or cluster therein, may be received in the setting and caused to closely resemble a single deep large stone having a lower inverted pyran'lid.

My present invention is an improvement upon the setting for precious stones shown., described and claimed in my application for Letters Patent ot the United States Serial No. 5182, iiled February 1, 1915.

The invention will be further readily un derstood from the following description and claims, and from the drawing, in whichl latter:

lFigure 1 is a side elevation ot my improved setting, which may be a part of a scart-pin, ring, or other piece of jewelry. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fie'. 3 is a side elevation of a cluster-plate. Fie. 4 is a plan view of the same'. Fig. 5 is an axial section o1l the cluster-plate showing the small stones therein, taken on a line corresponding to the line 5 5 of Fie'. f-l. Fig. G is a side elevation of my improved setting, having the cluster-plate containing its precious stones, clamped in the-setting.

Fie. 7 is an aXia-l section of the same, taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. G. Fig. S is an axial section of the same, taken on a line corresponding to the line 88 of Fig. S2.

The setting 11 comprises a series ot setting-prongs 12. The setting-prongsdiverge from a common axis. There is a central space 13 within the series of setting-prongs, and a space lei between the prongs of each pair of neighboring setting-prongs, these latter spaces preferably contracting toward their lower ends.

Each oi the setting-prongs is providedl adjacent its upper end with a shelf 16 above which a setting-claw 17 projects. 18 is a cluster-plate, the peripheral edge 19 of which is arranged to be received on the shelves 16 at the upper ends of the settingprongs and to be clamped upon saidbshelves .plate forming the girdle.

by the setting-claws 17, the peripheral edge of the cluster-plate being received in the recesses 2O in the inner faces of said settingprongs between said shelves and settingclaws.

Vilires' are arranged in the central space within the series of setting-prongs to` resemble the lines of the boundaries of the :facets of a brilliant below the girdle of a precious stone and are secured in said space so as to .have selective cluster-plates having small stones set thcrein selectively clamped in said outer setting above said wires to resemble a single large stone set in said setting.` The set cluster-plates are preferably releasable from said setting so that set cluster-plates may be removed and others substituted Ain the setting without disturbing said wirres. These wires are so arranged as to impart an appearance ot' depth in said resemblance to a'single large stone set in said settinez- This is preferably accomplished by laterally diverging wir-es extending down 'ardly between said settingprongs in said central space 'from a point below said cluster-plate. The resemblance is enhanced by wires exten-ding downwardly and inwardly into said central space and registering with the spaces between. neighboring setting-prongs and extending upivardly toward said cluster-plate to a point higher than the points to which said firstuamed dow nwardl \f laterally diverging wires project upwardly. l

The cluster-plate shown comprises a central lflat top portion 2G and a. downwardly slanting portion '2? surrounding said top portion, said top portion being provided with an axial bore Z8 in which a small precio'usl stone 29 isset, the slanting portion being providedgwith bores 8O surrounding Said bore QS, in which bores 30 small precious stones 31 are set for forming a cluster 32 resembling the crown of a single large stone, the central portion 'forming the table and the peripheral edge'19 ot the cluster- The wires of the setting are located in the central space 13 within the series of settingprongs and comprise wires 36 which slant downwardly and laterally from both sides of cach ot the setting-prongs from points 37 located in a. plane at right angles to the axis of the setting below the plane at right angles to said axis in which the shelves 16 are located, whereby said planes.` are spaced les i yupper ends of the wires 42 is apart by -a space 38, said first-nanied plane being at greater' distance from the base of the setting than said second-named plane.

Hiver-ging wires -l2 diverge from a point at or near the axis of the setting and extend radially upwardly and outwardly and intersect the angles 39 between the laterally downwardly diverging wires 3G and extend between the sides of said angles above the meeting points of said laterally extending wires 36 and the setting-prongs, to a point adjacent to the lowerv face of the peripheral edge of the cluster-plate, but preferahlv spaced from said cluster-plate by a slight .space 43. The upper ends of the wires 4t2 are preferably free of attachment to the cluster-plate, whereby' fiexure of said permitted if desired.

The wires 3G and Ll2 are preferably fixed together in suitable manner and rigidly fixed within the space between the series of setting-prongs, preferablyaccomplished by fixing, as bv brazingfsoldering or similar means7 the upper ends 4of the wires 36 where, they meet the setting-prongs to said settingprongs, for xing the wires in the setting. The wires 3G also act as spacing members for the wires 42.

The Wires 36 diverge from the axis of the setting preferably at a different angle from the angle at which the"diverging wires 42 eef sie

.diverge from said axis. The lateral wires 36 above their meeting points with the diverging wires 42 extend outwardly at a greater angle to the axis of the setting than do the wires 42, whereby said wires 36 are 'caused to meet the inner faces of the diverging setting-prongs 12 at points below theplane at right angles to the axis of the setting in which the upper ends of the diverging wires 42 are located. these upper ends the wires 42 preferably extending into the space between neighboring settingprongs, so as to be located substantially in a circle having a diameter equal to the diameter of a circle described from the axis of the setting in which the shelves 16 are located.

it will be noted that the upper ends of the wires in the setting closely resemble the under skew facets of a brilliant cutting of a precious stone, and the lower ends of the wiresclosely resemble the lower facets of the pavilion portion of a brilliant, the deep positioning of the lateral wires 36 and their slightly greater outer inclination than the outerinclination of the wires i2 imparting the appearance of depth to the resemblance to a single large stone set in the setting.

Willen therefore the cluster-plate, having 'the small precious stones set therein resembling Athe crown portion of a single large stone, is

placed in the setting ll, above the wires therein, and the claws 17 of the setting-V prongs are bent over the cluster-plate, the eil'ect is a close resemblance to a deep single large precious stone in the setting, which is enhanced further by forming the wires out of asubstance, for instance platinumA` of a different color from the color of the substance, for instance gold, out of which the setting 1l is formed.

Select-ive ones of the cluster-plates having smallk stones set therein to resemble the crown portion of a single large stone are arranged to be received in the setting 1l above the wires, so that any one of numerous cluster-plates having different numbers or sizes of stones of different kinds therein can be placed in any desired setting. Close resemblance to a single large deep-cut precious stone of brilliant cutting is produced by my improved device.

Having thus fully7 described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a setting of the character described, the combination of a series of diverging setting-prongs having a. space within said series. a framework of wires located in said space surrounded by said series of settingprongs, said framework including wires slanting downwardly and laterally from both sides of said respective setting-prongs and toward the axis of the setting and meeting and forming an angle between the prongs of cach pair of neighboring settingpronos to resemble thc boundary lines of the under facets of the pavilion portion of a single cut stone, the inner faces of said diverging setting-prongs provided with shelves located farther from the base of the setting than the upper ends of said frame work of wires. and a cluster-plate for small stones resting upon said shelves above and spaced from said framework of wires.

2. In a. setting of the character described,

Vthecombination of a Series of diverging setting-prongs having a central space within said series, said setting-prongs provided with shelves, a framei'vork of wires located in said central space, the planes perpendicular to thc axis of the setting in lwhich the upper ends of said wires and said shelves are respectively located having a space between them,v the wires of Said framework extending inwardly and downwardly 'to rc semble the boundary lines of the facets of the under portion of a cut precious stone7 said framework of wires fixed to said setting-prongs, and a cluster setting of small stones releasably received over and spaced from said wires and clamped in said setting on said shelves by said setting-prongs.

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